Review by Booklist Review
A hug can be many things. A fair-skinned father and daughter enjoy a walk outdoors. As the child explores, she compares the warmth and security she feels when her parent hugs her to other situations found in nature. The father holds her close, as a nest protects eggs and eggs cradle hatchlings. A cocoon is both strong and gentle. When it amazingly releases a butterfly, the family throws their arms wide in wonder. Just as flower buds and petals safeguard blooms, the child feels safe when her father hugs her. Seashells provide homes for creatures in the ocean, and the girl is at home in her father's arms. All of these natural elements remind the child how her father's hugs protect and care for her. Vivid illustrations portray a sumptuous environment, using many shades of green. The images invite readers to consider the settings from varying perspectives, from sweeping landscapes to extreme close-ups. The juxtaposition of the family affection and scientific information is unusual and effective.--Lucinda Whitehurst Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A father figure with long, exaggerated arms and his daughter, dressed in an orange A-line dress, meander through a springtime landscape. Using allusions to nature, Wheeler writes lyrically about what a hug can be. On one spread, cocoons of varying shapes and sizes hang from a branch: "Cocoons are strong/ yet gentle hugs." On a shoreline, soft waves crash against black rocks, and under the water is a diverse ecosystem with fish, coral, clams, and crabs: "A seashell is a kind of hug/ for creatures in the sea./ They tuck up tight inside their homes./ Your hug is home to me," Wheeler writes. But for the father and child, "My hug is for holding YOU!" Detailed art by Feng has a retro feel. The ornamentlike abundance of insects, flowers, and other natural objects brushes this familial journey with magic. Ages 3-5. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
A father and daughter connect the natural world with their affection for each another in this cozy, rhyming picture book. Saturated, rosy-toned illustrations of whimsical nature scenes--such as eggs holding hatchlings "warm and snug" and the "strong yet gentle" hug of a cocoon--alternate with images of the stylized protagonists sharing sweet moments outdoors. A succinct, tender, and visually appealing read. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young girl compares hugs to things found in nature as she explores with her dad."A speckled egg can be a hug / nestled in a tree. // Eggs hold hatchlings / warm and snug. / Your hug is for / holding me." Feng's soft, pastel-colored illustrations show the father lifting the girl up to see the nest; the next page presents a close-up of their faces, full of wonder, as they see the mother bird and one egg cracked open to reveal the baby. But it won't be quite as easy for young children to make some of the other connections, as the metaphors are not as strong as in Wheeler's earlier Babies Can Sleep Anywhere (2017). Still, if the metaphors are obscure, the sentiment rings true. A cocoon is a hug; a page turn reveals a field of butterflies: "Your hug amazes me." A flower bud holds the bloom: "Your hug feels safe to me." And a seashell is a hug for the animals that may live in it: "Your hug is home to me." The final two spreads revisit the comparisons: "Your hug was made / for holding me // my hug is for holding YOU!" Feng's artwork is lovely, stylized flora and fauna filling the pages, and the love between the two is evident. Both father and daughter have light skin, straight black hair, and rosy cheeks.Be prepared to take a walk in nature looking for hugs after sharing this one. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
